6 Healthy Bedtime Snacks

July 22, 2013

I’m sure you’ve been in this situation a lot of times. You’re about to sleep. The sheets are spread, the blanket and the comforter are both undone, and the night lamp is on. Yup! It’s time to sleep. But wait… what’s this? As you strive to begin to sleep, something’s keeping you up. You’re sure it’s not insomnia, it’s not that bothering.

You just feel that you need to do something… You feel like eating something. But wait, what time is it again? You usually sleep around this time because you know you have stuff to do the following day and you need to ready yourself mentally and physically, but your digestive system is saying, “How about no. I want to eat. We want to eat. We’ll eat, okay?”

You realize that you can’t do anything about it since you kind of admit that yeah – you are hungry. But you’re thinking of what you should eat before sleeping. Well, here’s a list of 6 basic but healthy bedtime snacks that’s sure to shut your digestive system’s complaints so you can finally get some rest. So how about it?

Water

Wait, wait. Take it easy. Before you throw your pillow at me, let me explain. Yes, I know this really doesn’t count as a snack, and I am well-aware of that. Water isn’t a solid snack, but I consider it to be something that pacifies your digestive system so you can help convince it to let you go to sleep.

You see, sometimes you just think that you’re hungry even though you’re really not. By giving in to these simple compulsions to eat, you get more calories and fat than what you’d first intend, and since you’re taking these in before you sleep, they become stored fats. That’s not good at all. So before you begin with any other snack, consider a glass of water first. If you’re still hungry, then I guess you can move on.

Milk

Now we’re getting a little closer. You usually hear of milk as a nice decent source of serotonin that helps you sleep. In this context, I’m talking about milk as something that can satisfy your hunger to help you sleep. The main goal is to help you sleep, and if losing the hunger brings you closer to the goal of slumber, then why not? Overall, milk is a common aid to help people sleep, but it’s still not the same as a solid snack food, so if you think you still can’t sleep yet even after a glass of milk, then you can move on again.

Popcorn

Now we’re talking. I’m not talking about a movie or a blockbuster primarily, and neither am I talking about an argument in some comment thread online in a forum. I’m just talking about how popcorn is a wonderful snack for you at night if you’re suddenly craving to eat something. If you’re thinking that popcorn doesn’t seem healthy, then that’s probably because you’re used to all the fatty stuff usually put on it, like butter. If it’s just plain old salted popcorn, then you should be just fine. Since it’s a nice decent source of complex carbs, you won’t feel too bloated in the morning.

Nuts

It’s rich in antioxidants and fibrous and it helps you feel full longer than any other snacks, which is perfect for the condition you’re experiencing in most hungry nights. I’m talking about plain salted, roasted nuts. It won’t be very healthly at night if it’s fried, but roasted peanuts are okay anyway, right? Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, you name it. In a nutshell, (perfect use of this idiom) it helps you sleep in peace – full, contented, and perfectly sleepy.

Whole Grains

Cereals and Oatmeal are marvelously fibrous, and they’re healthy without a doubt. Yep, you know that they’re a breakfast selection, however they’re also healthy enough to count in this list. When mixing them in with milk, be sure to use skim, low-fat milk to avoid the extra fat. Don’t put too much sugar in the oatmeal and don’t choose a sugary sweet cereal since too much sweets might disrupt your sleep. But if you are looking for something sweet as a midnight snack, go on to the last bit.

Fruits

What’s natural and sweet and healthy? Yup, nothing else but fruits. Like I said, if you’re looking for a sweet-ish midnight snack, here it is. It’s the natural way of cheating since it’s sweet almost without any fat. They’re full of vitamins and nutrients that help your body regenerate overnight. It’s also mostly made of water (since they’re natural fruits) so you won’t be dehydrated all the way into the morning. Neat, huh?

So there you have it! Healthy bedtime snacks. I hope you make sure to take everything into moderation. Remember that too much of everything can be bad. Just don’t forget of the main primary goal of getting sleep. That’s it. Alright! So have a good snack and sleep tight!